Electric time-alarm



(No Model.) 2 Sh-eets-Sheet 1. A. C. ROEBUOK.

ELECTRIC TIME ALARM.

No. 585,480. Patented June 29, 1897.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAH CURTIS ROEBUCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC TIME-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,480, dated June 29, 1897. Application filed July 27, 1896. $erial No. 600,698, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALvAH CURTIS ROE- BUOK, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Time-Alarm, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to providea new and improved time-alarm more especially designed for use on alarm-clocks to give sig nals and alarms, and also designed for use in offices, shops, schools, &c., to operate electric bells, buzzers, steam-whistles, and the like to announce the commencement and closing hours for work, study, recreation, rte.

Theinvention consists principally of a graduated disk rotated by clockwork and moving in conjunction with the minute-hand to close an electric circuit containing an alarm or signal.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combination of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement applied to the dial of a clock. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lever carrying the contact-point, part being in section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the graduated disk and one of the adjustable arms attached to the disk. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the attachment for sounding alarms in different lo-' cations and at different times. Fig. 6 is a face view of an arm to be used to make contact instead of the hour-hand. Fig. 7 is a face View of a modified form of disk. Fig. 8 is a trans verse section of the same. Fig. 9 is a face View of a modified form of the improvement. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the contacting-spring for the minute-hand, and Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the contact-button.

The time-alarm is provided with a clock A, of any approved construction and having a center arbor 13, carrying a minute-hand B, and a cannon-pinion C, carrying the hourhand C. On the cannon-pinion C is secured a gear-wheel D, in mesh with a gear-wheel E, having twice as many teeth as the gearwl1eel D and having its hub E mounted to rotate 011 an insulated stud E secured to the framework of the clock A.

On the front end of the hub E is secured a disk F, formed at its face with a graduation F, representing the twenty-four hours of the day, as plainly indicated in Fig. 1, it being understood that the said disk F makes one revolution for every two revolutions of the cannon-pinion C and the hour-hand C, owing to the size of the gear-wheels D and E, as above mentioned.

On the rim of the disk F are held adjustable arms G, each preferably made U shaped, with the front member provided with a setscrew G for securing the arm G to the disk F, the end of the set-screw being adapted to pass into an annular groove formed in the face of the disk to securely hold the arm in place, as plainly illustrated in the drawings.

The front member of the arm G is formed into a pointer G adapted to indicate on the graduation F the hour at which the signal is to be set or the alarm is to be sounded. The rear member G of each arm G is adapted to engage a frictionroller H, held on one end of a lever H, fulcrumed at H to a bracket secured to the framework of the clock A, the saidlever being formed at its upper portion into a spring H the extreme upper end of the lever carrying an insulated block H", in which is embedded a contact-point H, connected with an insulated wire I, leading to one pole of a battery or other source of electricity.

A spring H presses the lever H to hold the latter in a rearward position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the friction-roller H then resting against the rear face of the disk F. Now when the member G of the arm G comes in contact with the friction-roller H then a swinging motion is given to the lever II, whereby the upper end of the lever is moved forward into the path of a contact-point 13 formed on the minute-hand B, thereby effecting an electric contact and closing the circuit, as hereinafter more fully'described.

The block H projects through an opening in the dial of the clock to bring its point II into the path of the contact-point B the latter being secured to the rear face of the minute-hand, as indicated in Fig. 2. The other ICO wire I, connected with the other pole of the battery or other source of electrical supply, connects with a contact-plate J, insulated on the frame of the clockwork A, the said contact-plate being of spring metal and formed at its free end with a contact-point J, riding on the peripheral surface of a disk J ,n1ounted to rotate 011 a stud secured to the frame of the clockwork A. On the face of this disk J is secured or formed a ratchet-wheel J having seven teeth adapted to be engaged by a pin D, secured on the gear-wheel D, so that it requires seven revolutions of the latter to give one complete turn to the ratchet-wheel J and its disk J One-seventh part J of the periphery of the disk J 2 is covered by a non-conducting plate, so that during the time the contact-point J rides over the said plate then the circuit is kept open, even should a contact be made between the points H and 13 but as long as the contact-point J rides over the remainder of the periphery of the disk J then the circuit is closed whenever the contact-points H and 3 contact with each other, as the currentpasses by the wire I through the framework of the clock to the minute-hand B. Now it will be seen that this plate J is to represent Sunday of the week, so that during Sunday the alarm and si nals are not sounded or displayed. It is understood that this device for cutting out one day in the week can be omitted, the wire I then being simply connected with the framework of the clock A. Now it is evident that the operator can set the arms G to such hour and subdivision at which the signal is to be displayed or the alarm to be sounded, it being understood that the arm at the proper time acts by its member G 011 the lever H to bring the contact-point H in the path of the contact-point B, so that the minute-hand B in moving into the proper position to make the contact causes a closing of the circuit and the sounding of the alarm and a display of the signal. Any desired number of such arms may be held on the disk F to sound the alarm at different times of the day. Thus,for instancc,as illustrated in Fi 1, an alarm is sounded at eight a. 111., at twelve 111., at one p. 111., and at six p. 111., thus indicating that the factory opens, for instance, at eight oclock in the morning, closes at noon, opens at one in the afternoon, and again closes at six in the afternoon. The arms thus set remain in this position until it is desired to make a change in sounding the alarm.

In order to be enabled to sound signals in different locations at different times from the same clock, I provide the lever H with an insulated block 11 (see Fig. 5,) in which are set a number of contact-points H adapted to be engaged by arms secured on the center arbor B, the said arms being set to the desired times, and each arm is adapted to make contact with one of the points H to close the circuit leading to a certain locality. Each contact-point H is for this purpose connected with a separate wire 1 leading to the desired place.

\Vhen several signals are to be sounded between the even hours, then I provide one or more arms K, held on the center arbor l3, and use them instead of the minute-hand 13 for making contact at the point ll The minutehand 13 in this case is insulated to prevent it from making contact.

For alarm-clocks on which but one signal is to be used during the twenty-four hours I provide a disk mounted to rotate loosely on the hub E the said disk carrying an adj ustable arm F for engagement with the friction-roller H to shift the lever H, as previously explained. The graduated disk F is firmly secured to the hub E and 011 it indicates a pointer F formed integral with the disk F In the modified form shown in Fig. 9 the arrangement is more especially designed for alarm-clocks of cheap construction and in which the interference from the friction created by the contact-points making connection more than once would not be a serious objection.

On the cannon-pinion is secured a gearwheel D in mesh with a gear-wheel E", carrying on its face a graduation E similar to the graduation F. An arm L is adapted to be secured on this gear-wheel E and on the arm is formed an opening L, through which appears one of the numerals of the graduation to indicate the hour to which the arm L is set. The outer end of the arm which is carried around by the gear-wheel E" is adapted to make contact with the contact-point N, held 011 a spring-plate N, insulated from the framework of the clock, the said spring-plate being connected by a wire I wit-l1 one pole of the battery, the other wire I being connected with the dial A of the clockwork, and which dial is insulated from the framework. The minute-hand B in this case is provided with a spring-band 13*, formed with a contact-point B (see Fig. 10,) adapted to engage a contact-point 0, held on a button 0, secured to an arm 0 adapted to be secured to the dial A at the desired time, so that when the minute-hand 13 passes over the said arm 0 the contact-points and 0 contact to close the circuit, provided the arm L has at the same time made contact with the point N.

It is understood that by the special c011- struction described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the minute-hand only makes contact at the time the signal is to be displayed or the alarm is to be sounded, while during the remainder of the time the minute-hand is free to move without any hindrance whatever, the same as in ordinary clocks, so that interference with the rate of speed of the clock by reason of friction is entirely avoided. It will be further seen that by the arrangement described the attachment can be readily set and adjusted accurately, so that the signal or alarm is given at the correct time.

The device can be readily set for any hour and minute or the fraction of a minute, if de sired. The length of the contact can be adjusted to suit the requirements by making the size of the contact-points accordingly.

The attachment is automatic in every respect and requires no attention save the renewal of the batteries.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A time-alarm, comprising a graduated dial driven by clockwork and carrying adjustable arms adapted to be set to the time when the alarm is to be sounded, and a lever adapted to 'be actuated by the said arm, to move a contact-point on the said lever in the path of the contact-point on the minute-hand of the clock, to close the circuit, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a time-alarm the combination of a timing mechanism, signal-controlling disk rotated thereby one complete revolution a day, contact-pieces adjustably attached thereto with a lever placed in a normally open circuit and adapted to be engaged by said adjustable contact-pieces to move its other end into the path of the contact-arm and said contact-arm adustable in relation to and revolving with the minute-hand, substantially as described.

3. A time-alarm, comprising a gear-wheel on the cannon-pinion of a clock, a disk driven from the said gear-wheel and having a graduation indicating the hours of the day, the said gear-wheel making two revolutions to one revolution of the said disk, arms adjustably held on the said disk, a lever adapted to be engaged by the said arms, a contact-point carried by the said lever, and a second contactpoint carried by the minute-hand of the clock, substantially as shown and described.

4. A time-alarm, provided with a lever adapted to receive a swinging motion at a given time, the said lever being provided with an insulated block having one or more contactpoints, and a hand or arms driven by clockwork and adapted to make contact with the said contact-points, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an electric time-signaling mechanism, the combination of a timing mechanism, a movable contact-piece having a fixed position upon the dial, and means for setting the same forward, comprising a revolving disk having adjustable cam-blocks thereon, with an arm adapted to engage said movable contact-piece to close the circuit and adjustably connected to and revolving with the minute-hand-of the timing mechanism substantially as described.

6. In an electric time-signaling mechanism, the combination of a timing mechanism, a movable contact-piece having a fixed position upon the dial, and means for setting the same forward, comprising a revolving disk having adjustable cam-blocks thereon, with an arm adapted to engage said movable contact-piece to close the circuit and adjustably connected to and revolving with the minute-hand of the timing mechanism, and a wheel normally forming a part of the circuit and receiving a fractional revolution for each complete revolution of the cam-blocks, and an insulated segment covering one or more of said fractional revolutions and adapted to break the circuit, substantially as described.

ALVAH CURTIS ROEBUCK.

YVitnesses:

J. L. ATLEY,

L. Scor'r. 

